Yarn carrier of knitting machines



June 13, 1939. c. G. NEWTON YARN CARRIER OF KNITTING MACHINES v FiledDec. 16, 1936 INVEN TOR: Charles GrJEzvio/W,

A rromvax Patented 'June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE YARNCARRIER F KNITTING MACHINES Charles G. Newton, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaApplication December 16, 1936, Serial No. 116,062- In Canada October 18,1936 11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in yarn carriers of knittingmachines. A yarn carrier comprises a fiat tapering shank and a head bymeans of which it is secured to the knitting machine in a bank or bankswith other carriers, and its function is to guide the warn on the finalpart of the course from a yarn package or cone to the loop formingelements of the machine." These guide means include a longitudinalgroove in one face of the shank and which flaringly terminates in anopening or eye near the tip, and a tube leading from the opening,through the tip and to a point beyond the tip. In the conventionalcarrier, this tube is passed through a substantially l5 conformingeyelet opening into the aforesaid eye and is soldered or otherwise fixedin position.

Yarns are fed throughthese tubes, and although formed of hardened steelthe tubes nevertheless wear, not only internally but in time to havecross grooves at the tube mouths from which the yarn emerges andalternates in the direction of its delivery resulting from thereciprocation of the carriers in the machine. Consequently, the tubesmust be discarded from time to time 5 and replaced, and such anoperation not only necessitates the removal of the carriers from themachine but the solder must also be fused in order to first release theworn tubes that new ones may be inserted and soldered in place. An-

other objection to the conventional carrier is that, unless great careis exercised in the-replacement operation, the heat applied in solderingwill soften the hardened tubes.

One important object of the invention is to provide means for readilyreplacing the carrier tubes and in that operation to obviate theneces.-. sity of removing the carriers from the machine.

Another important object is to provide a carrier in which wear of themouth of the tube is reduced.

A further important object is to provide a carrier that is simple,durable, efiicient, and inexpem sive to produce.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafterapparent, the invention comprises in general certain novel elements ofconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically claimed.

? Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a yarn carrier constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a lower portion of g the carrier as shownin Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a median section taken on the line 33 of Fig, 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. '7 is an elevational view of the tube.

In its present embodiment, the improved carrier comprises aconventionally proportioned fiat tapered shank I0 formed with a head I lby which it is secured to the knitting machine. These carriers arearranged in banks and are usually each bent downwardly at a point wherea yarn guide groove l2 widens or flares, but as the angles vary widelyat which certain shanks are so bent and other shanks are sometimessubstantially straight, the carrier is here illustrated as straight. Thecarriers are usually produced in unbent form.

Near its lower end, the groove l2 deepens or flares toward an eye l3formed in the shank close to its tip and extending through from one fiatside to the other. A yarn carrier tube I5 is disposed in a tip M or thatpart of the shank between the eye l3 and its lower end. This .tube isrevoluble about its longitudinal axis in a core I6 and slidable alongsaid axis in and out of the core. When in position, the tube protrudesboth into the eye l3 and beyond the lower end of the tip M.

A collar H on the tube l5 has a lower shoulder which, when the tube isin proper position, abuts a fiat face l8 of the eye I3. The face l8provides a seat for the shoulder and constitutes a limiting stop for thetube.

0n the face of the shank opposite to the face having the groove I2, is asnap spring 19 which extends nearly across the eye l3 but terminatesshort of the face l8 at a distance therefrom substantially equalling thelength of the collar [1. This spring is curved into the eye toward whichit is biased so that the lower end of the spring is disposed oppositethe upper or spring-detent shoulder of the collar.

By merely flexing back the spring, the tube is free to be withdrawn fromthe core 16. This operation may be effected by the introduction of anysuitably pointed instrument of 'a character Enabling it to be introducedinto the eye. Similarly, but. without the assistance of aninstrument,-the extracted tube may be quickly replaced by another tube,during which operation the tip of the spring merely slides over thecollar until the tube reaches operative position, when the It ispreferable to set the spring l9 so that no tension or pressure ismaintained against the tube or its collar while the tube is in operativeposition. This leaves the tube free to rotate, whereby the motion of themachine combined with the running yarn 20 causes the tube to more orless irregularly but also substantially constantly alter its positionabout its axis, a movement which obviates the tendency of the mouth ofthe tube to become cross-grooved and thus prolongs its life.

Of course, the improvements specifically shown and described by which Iobtain the above results, can be changed and modified in various wayswithout departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafterclaimed.

I claim:

1. In a yarn carrier, a tube readily removably disposed in the carriertip, means on the tube cooperating with the tip for limiting movement ofthe tube in one direction relative to the tip, and means including aspring on the tip for snap locking action relative to a portion of thetube for limiting movement of the tube in the opposite direction andoperative to. provide for movement of the tube in said oppositedirection for removal of the tube from the tip.

2. A yarn carrier guide comprising a finger having a portionconstituting substantially a journal for a finger tip tube, a finger tiptube journaled by said portion for movement of the tube about itslongitudinal axis relative to the finger in response to yarn guidingmovement of the guide and an efiect of the yarn on the tube during saidmovement, and means providing cooperating shoulders transversely of theguide on the finger and the tube, respectively, for positively lockingthe tube longitudinally relative to the finger within definitely limiteddistances in both directions and providing for the ready sepa- I rationof the tube from the finger, the said looking shoulder on the guidebeing carried by a spring and held by the spring to be freely spacedfrom the cooperating lock shoulder on the tube in the operative lockingpositions of the shoulders.

'3. The combination in a yarn guide for knitting machines of a guidemember having an eye and an aperture extending from said eye to thelower end of the member, a tube in said aperture, said eye, tube andmember arranged for insertion and removal of the tube into and from theaperture through said eye, and a latch for holding said tube in saidaperture lying normally in the path taken by said tube during withdrawalfrom said aperture but readily removable from said path'.

4. The combination in a' yarn guide for knitting machines of a guidemember having an eye,

and an aperture extending therefrom to the end of the member, a tube insaid aperture, and a flat spring fastened to said guide member andextending to a point adjacent a transverse surface of said tube forholding the tube in and readily releasing it from said aperture.

5. The combination in a yarn guide for knit-- ting machines of a guidemember having an eye and an aperture extending therefrom to the end ofthe member, a tube in said aperture, and a fiat spring fastened to oneface of said member and curving into said eye to a point adjacent atransverse surface of said tube for holding the tube in and readilyreleasing it from said aperthrough the eye, and a latch for holding saidtube in said aperture lying normally in the path taken by said tubeduring withdrawal from said aperture but readily removable from saidpath.

7. The combination in a yarn guide for knitting machines of a guidemember having an eye and an aperture extending therefrom to the end ofthe member, a tube revoluble in said aperture under the action of yarnin use, and a flat spring fastened on one face of the guide member andcurving into said eye to a point adjacent a-transverse surface of saidtubemember for holding the tube member in and readily releasing it fromsaid aperture.

8. The combination as set forth in claim '7 and in which the tube memberand guide member have abutting transverse surfaces for revolublysupporting the tube member in the bore.

9. In combination, a yarn guide for knitting machines'having anon-bifurcated tip at the end from which the yarn is fed to the knittingneedles, an eye removed from said tip, an aperture running from said eyethrough said tip, a yarn feeding tube in said aperture capable of beinginserted into and removed therefrom but.

only through said eye and having a shouldered portion adapted to limitthe travel of the tube in the aperture in the direction in which itmoves when being inserted into the aperture, and a spring memberpositioned relatively to said guide to adapt it to engage the shoulderedportion of said tube on the opposite side fromthe side adapted to abutthe guide to prevent the tube from moving materially, during use, in thedirection in which it moves in being removed from said aperture.

10. The combination in a yarn guide for knitting machines of a guidemember having an opening in its tip in. which a yarn tube is re-,movably mounted, and a spring member attached to said guide and mountedto move transversely of the normal plane of motion of said guide intocontact with a shoulder on said thread tube to hold the tube againstmotion upward in the the free tip of the guide longitudinally thereof, a

yarn tube in said aperture having a shoulder thereon, and a flat springfastened to said guide member and normally lying in position to engagesaid shoulder for resisting longitudinal movement of the tube butreadily movable to release said tube. CHARLES G. NEWTON.

